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Drinkable Suncream claim investigated by BAD

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) decided to Ask for Evidence when it saw claims by Osmosis Skincare regarding its 'drinkable sunscreen'. The evidence it received in response didn't back up the claims.

Drinkable Suncream claim investigated by BAD

“We have been touch with Osmosis Skincare as we are very keen to see any evidence to support its claims regarding Harmonised H20 UV protection. At this stage the claims being made regarding this product are confusing. If it is, as it appears to be, just water then it is nonsense that it provides any protection from the sun. Should Osmosis Skincare be prepared to share its evidence for these claims as we have asked then we would be happy to examine it.

Without this evidence we would strongly recommend that people continue to use traditional sunscreen and to protect the skin with clothing, including a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses.

As far as we’re aware there has been no external evaluation or validation of Osmosis’ claims, something that is very important for any product that claims to protect the skin against harmful rays from the sun.”

In addition to the concerns of the British Dermatologists Association (BAD), Dr Kat Arney at Cancer Research UK pointed out: "There’s no evidence or scientific plausibility to show that this so-called “drinkable sunscreen” - which is actually just water - provides any kind of effective protection from UV radiation from the sun. Excessive exposure to UV from the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer, and the only proven way to protect yourself is to seek shade during the middle of the day when the sun is strongest (11am-3pm in the UK), pop on a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses, and regularly apply sunscreen with a minimum of SPF15 and a high UVA star rating. You can find out more about how to enjoy the sun safely on our SunSmart website

Ben Johnson, the founder of Osmosis Pur Medical Skincare and formulator of all their products responded to BAD's request for evidence. Unfortunately the response failed to answer any of BAD's questions, aside from confirming the formulation is 100% water, nor did it provide any additional evidence to support the veracity of the product claims.

According to BAD: "Johnson told us that as this was a “new science”, and not taught in medical school, most physicians were not open to it. We would like to point out that new discoveries in science are a regular occurrence and are widely accepted by the scientific community, regardless of whether they are part of medical school curriculum, if they meet the scientific community’s standards for proof."